WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US weapons manufacturer General Dynamics has been awarded $33 million to provide engineering services for the first of the US Navy's next generation strategic ballistic missile submarine known as the Columbia, the US Department of Defense said in a press release.
"General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is being awarded a $32,700,000 modification under a previously awarded contract for continued design support requirements for Columbia Class Submarine," the release said Friday.
"This contract includes shipbuilder and vendor technology development; engineering integration; concept design studies; cost reduction initiatives using a design for affordability process; and full scale prototype manufacturing and assembly," the release added.
One of the advanced features of the Columbia is a nuclear fuel core will power the ship for its entire expected service life of 42 years, according to published reports. Columbia is named after Washington, the District of Columbia.